Rooting Raiders: Odds predict an ugly Super Bowl for Raiders fans

The Oakland Raiders did not make the playoffs this year, again. That leaves many in the Raider Nation wondering who they will root for in the post season. Some fans pick a team and make them their playoff team. Some fans cheer based on who they want to see lose as opposed to who they want to see win. But regardless of how you choose to follow the playoffs, if the Vegas odds makers are right, most will be hard pressed to find a reason to root for either team in the Super Bowl.

If the favorites in both of the conference championships win this weekend, we will be looking at a San Francisco 49ers vs. New England Patriots Super Bowl. Obviously, I am making some assumptions about Raiders fans here. First, I assume that most Raiders fans do not want to see a regional rival win the Super Bowl, especially when their team did not even make the playoffs. I am also assuming that the rest of the Raider Nation is still as bitter as I am about the tuck rule in the Snow Bowl.

The Raiders and Niners do not have a real traditional sports rivalry. They do not play each other every year, nor have they played each other in many important and meaningful games. But at the end of the day, the close proximity of the two clubs means that, at the very least, regional bragging rights are continually at stake, and no one in the Raider Nation wants to spend the next year referring to the Niners as the defending Super Bowl Champions.

With the Patriots, however, there is much more of a rivalry to be had. They also do not play each other every year, but they are in the same conference and played each other in the playoff game responsible for putting "the tuck rule" into the vocabulary of every NFL fan across the country.

it was not the fault of Tom Brady or the Patriots that the referees made the call they did, but that is part of what is great about sports, illogical blame and hatred. Regardless of the fact that if the tables were turned, most Raiders fans would be perfectly fine with the results, they still hold the loss against the Patriots and pretty boy Tom Brady.

Watching the playoffs when your team is sitting at home is never a great feeling. But if the Vegas odds makers turn out to be correct, this Super Bowl could be one that many in the Raider Nation would be better off ignoring.